Laverne Cox, With Liberty and Justice For All

As one of the faces of America's transgender visibility movement, Laverne Cox has received numerous accolades, such as being the first transgender to be nominated for an Emmy for her role as Sofia on Orange Is the New Black, or becoming the first transgender entertainer to have a wax figure at Madame Tussaud's museum.

Now, Cox embodies "Lady Liberty" in a monumental cover story for Entertainment Weekly's LGBT special issue.

With the third season of OITNB upon us, and the global coverage received by Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair story, Cox is here to raise her voice on transgender awareness and representation.

In the interview, Cox reminds fans of the privilege she had to make her transition away from media scrutiny, something that was not granted to Jenner.

"This is why I'm so grateful I had the luxury of transitioning in private," Cox says. "When you transition in the public eye, the transition becomes the story. I'm always disturbed when I see conversations about trans people that focus on surgery. But I believe Caitlyn will transcend this moment."

EW has also shot a behind-the-scenes video from the photo shoot. Click here to watch it.

Read the full cover story in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands June 12.